Updating our built-in apps for Windows 8 … As we get close to the general availability (GA) of Windows 8, there are many things that the Windows team and other teams at Microsoft have been doing to get ready. Of course, the most important thing has been working with PC makers to help …

Suspicion over Dotcom net glitch — Telecom engineers investigating internet irregularities weeks before GCSB has said it started spying on him. — Kim Dotcom's internet connection was being diverted inside New Zealand weeks before the Government Communications Security Bureau says it started spying on him.

Microsoft to launch Surface at midnight on October 26th — Microsoft has started sending out invites to a special “Surface Reception” event on October 25th. Alongside a Windows 8 introduction, the software giant will launch its highly anticipated tablet at midnight on October 26th — according to a company spokesperson.

Behind Facebook's Emotional Ad From Wieden & Kennedy — Portland Shop Named Agency of Record For Social Network — Today, Faceboook announced that it had reached its billion-user milestone, and to celebrate, it has launched a poetic film from its agency of record, Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, Ore.

Does VC (fund size) matter? — Despite what you may have heard, big is beautiful. — Many smart venture capital observers have lamented the emergence of VC “megafunds,” like those managed by my firm New Enterprise Associates. For example, the Kauffman Foundation recently issued a report claiming that …

High-Profile Facebook Comms VP Joe Lockhart Departs — Joe Lockhart, Vice President of global communications at Facebook, has left the company, AllThingsD has learned. — His departure comes nearly 15 months after he first joined the company in July of last year, where he worked alongside of Marne Levine …

Bezos, CIA invest $30M in quantum computing startup — Jeff Bezos has put money into a robot factory worker, a 10,000 year clock and private car service. And he's not done yet. — Bezos Expeditions and In-Q-Tel, the venture arm of the CIA, announced Thursday a $30 million investment in D-Wave Systems …

Sprint Said to Eye MetroPCS Bid to Rival T-Mobile Offer — Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), the third- largest U.S. mobile-phone carrier, is in the early stages of evaluating whether it should make a counter offer for MetroPCS Communications Inc. (PCS) to top Deutsche Telekom AG (DTE) …

Oracle appeals ruling in lawsuit over Google's use of Java — The database giant takes issue with the judge's decision in the case that the APIs used in Android are noncopyrightable. — Oracle announced today it plans to appeal the verdict in its long-running patent and copyright battle with Google over Java.

Worldwide raids on web drug sales — A worldwide crack-down on the sale of fake and unlicensed medicines on the internet has netted £6.5m of drugs. — UK drug officials took part in a series of co-ordinated raids with Interpol and agencies from more than 100 different countries over the past nine days.

China's Huawei Considers an IPO — Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co. has reached out to investment banks for advice on issuing stock to the public, people familiar with the outreach said, as the company considers ways to make itself more transparent and improve its odds …